ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This the kind of challenge craves.
Tuesday night, the Rockies’ left-hander will match skills and grit vs. Tampa Bay left-hander Blake Snell. Freeland, 25, finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting last year. Snell, 26, won the AL Cy Young.
“The thing about Kyle is that he doesn’t let the big moment, or the distractions, get to him,” veteran Rockies catcher said. “In fact, I think he tends to get an even clearer focus in those moments.”
During spring training, several of Freeland’s teammates anointed him the “grittiest” Rockies player.
“You have to give that to Freeland,” right fielder said. “He’s super-tough. He grinds so hard every single pitch, never gives in. He’s super-competitive.”
Freeland enters Tuesday’s game having won nine consecutive decisions dating to last Aug. 6. That’s tied for the club record. He allowed one run on just two hits across seven innings in Colorado’s 6-3 victory over Miami in the season opener Friday.
Snell didn’t fare nearly as well in the Rays’ opener. Houston ripped him for five runs, including three home runs, in the Astros’ 5-1 victory. Last season, he finished 21-5 with a 1.89 record, and he had only one game in which he allowed three homers, that coming May 13 against the Orioles.
The Rays made Snell a rich man last month, signing him to five-year, $50 million deal.
“I’m happy,” Snell told the Rays media. “I’m happy to be here. I want to be here. I don’t want to go anywhere. I think with the deal I made with them, itap going to keep me here longer than I would’ve been if I didn’t. And that makes me really happy. Because I’m comfortable here. I like the team we’re building. I want to be here. This is a great team.”
For openers. Tampa is an innovative franchise, and it has embraced the idea of using the so-called opener to begin games. It worked wonders Monday night when hard-throwing Ryne Stanek struck out Charlie Blackmon, and in the first inning. No. 3 hitter did manage to punch a single to left.
Stanek overpowered the Rockies with a fastball that peaked at 98.7 mph.
Rockies manager Bud Black admires the Rays’ willingness to embrace change, but he doesn’t see the Rockies beginning games with an opener.
“I have given it thought, but as far as it relates to the Rockies, I feel pretty good about our five starters,” Black said. “I like their ability to throw pitches into the sixth or seventh inning, and we don’t feel like we have the need to start anybody out of our bullpen.”
Murphy update. The Rockies are still awaiting word on how long injured first baseman will be out. He suffered an avulsion fracture on the index finger of his left hand during Friday’s night’s game at Miami. Murphy saw a hand specialist Monday in Scottsdale, Ariz..
He was officially added to the injured list Monday, and the Rockies recalled utility infielder from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Murphy’s place on the roster.
